Memoirs of the Unborn. Galaxy

Memoirs of the Unborn. Galaxy

Ninth story

Our galaxy doesn't particularly differ from others.

 

Various versions are suggested regarding the origin of its name, the "Milky Way."

 

According to one of them, based on Ancient Greek mythology, it was the milk spurted from the chest of the goddess Hera, which never reached the mouth of the infant Hercules.

 

According to another version, it was a salty path used by salt traders.

 

There are other versions, but they are more interesting for science than for the uninformed reader.

 

Since names in history are often given post facto, our galaxy appeared long before its name. But judging by its appearance, it resembles both the Milky Way and the salty path.

 

The Milky Way includes the Solar System, where Earth is located, as well as other systems with their centers, cores, planets, stars, suns, and moons.

 

Despite the existence of borders in our galaxy, beyond which stretch the starry plains of its neighbors, people still give the concept of "galaxy" the meaning of infinity, forgetting that the Universe is infinite. We'll talk about the Universe separately.

 

For example, there are many brands under the name "Galaxy" - from interest clubs, dating sites to the name of a whole series of mobile phones from one of the leading manufacturers.

 

The Milky Way has seen different times, both peaceful and wartime. Planets in the Solar System waged wars among themselves. Sometimes they lasted for years, sometimes for decades. When the desired truce between the planets came, conflicts began on the planets themselves.

 

Our galaxy also knew more extensive campaigns when the Solar System declared war on its neighbors in the Milky Way.

 

Knowing how destructive intra-galactic conflicts of any scale can be, the Milky Way tried in every way to influence the conflicting parties, standing in their way to avoid the formation of new crises.

 

But sometimes more unpleasant events occurred.

 

For example, in the year 2075, a major intergalactic conflict occurred when the Andromeda Nebula faced an energy crisis, and as a solution, it collided our galaxy with the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Fortunately, realizing the potential scale of a Universal war, the most remote galaxy, UDFj-39546284, rushed to become an arbitrator, offering its services to the galaxies involved in the conflict. The conflict was resolved. Following the crisis, the Intergalactic Energy Union was created, which henceforth helped allied galaxies solve their energy-related problems.

 

The Chronicles of the Milky Way also describe interplanetary, intersystem, and intergalactic scientific conferences, folklore festivals, trade fairs, sports competitions, and many other events in peacetime.

 

Our galaxy could remember even more interesting events that could have happened if... it was born. Unfortunately, the brilliant novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams was never written, and the film of the same name was never made. These works belong to the science fiction genre, which means there was neither the galaxy itself, nor the Solar System, nor planets, nor neighboring and distant galaxies. Thus, none of this could come to the mind of the unborn writer. Because he was not born together with his unborn galaxy.

 

Our galaxy does not particularly differ from others. Only in the sense that it was not born. And about others, we actually know nothing.

October 26, 2014, Original (Russian) version.